Phylogenetic and morphological classification of Ophiocordyceps species on termites from Thailand

Seven new species occurring on termites are added to <i>Ophiocordyceps</i> - <i>O. asiatica</i>, <i>O. brunneirubra</i>, <i>O. khokpasiensis</i>, <i>O. mosingtoensis</i>, <i>O. pseudocommunis</i>, <i>O. pseudorhizoidea</i> and <i>O. termiticola</i>, based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic evidence. <i>O. brunneirubra</i> possesses orange to reddish-brown immersed perithecia on cylindrical to clavate stromata. <i>O. khokpasiensis</i>, <i>O. mosingtoensis</i> and <i>O. termiticola</i> have pseudo-immersed perithecia while <i>O. asiatica</i>, <i>O. pseudocommunis</i> and <i>O. pseudorhizoidea</i> all possess superficial perithecia, reminiscent of <i>O. communis</i> and <i>O. rhizoidea</i>. Phylogenetic analyses based on a combined dataset comprising the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) and the largest subunit (LSU) of the ribosomal DNA, partial regions of the elongation factor 1-α (<i>TEF</i>) and the largest and second largest subunits for the RNA polymerase genes (<i>RPB1</i>, <i>RPB2</i>) strongly support the placement of these seven new species in <i>Ophiocordyceps</i>.